Program promotes state harvests

Buying local gets boost from campaign to aid farmers.

Buying local gets boost from campaign to aid farmers.

October 20, 2008|By CHARLES ROLTSCH Capital News Service

LANSING -- The Department of Agriculture's Select Michigan campaign is helping farmers sustain their businesses and helping consumers identify locally grown food. "We definitely support the campaign," said Nancy Voges, manager of the Downtown Rochester Farmers' Market. "It helps to educate the public on the importance of buying local." The 5-year-old program has been a success since its inception. In the first year, 700 jobs were kept or created and sales increased by 10 to 20 percent, the department said. The program uses stickers on produce to identify them as local to shoppers. Voges said her market predominantly uses posters to promote locally grown food. Radio advertisements and taste-testing also raise customers' awareness. It is funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Fund and the Michigan Food and Farming System. In addition, more than 20 commodity groups provide funding to promote products represented by Select Michigan. "I don't think there's a downside to the program," said Chris Peterson, director of the Michigan State University Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources. "The department has done a good job at giving a brand identity to producers." The degree of benefit from the program varies with the type of produce. For example, $500 million stayed in Michigan last year because consumers bought local apples, helping 1,000 apple farms and processors, the department said. Michigan peach growers earned a 15 percent price premium on their Select Michigan peaches, giving them an advantage over competing peaches, it added. Farmers and consumers meet in a variety of places. Some farmers sell their goods on the farm. Farmers' markets in urban centers also serve as meeting places. Michigan has more than 120 farmer's markets, according to mimarketmaker.msu.edu, an Internet market finder.